Jewels on display at Corsie Sistine

Rome, 14 October 2026

Now in its sixth edition, RJW, curated by architect Monica Cecchini, features a series of prestigious events throughout the city, including exhibitions, displays, awards, talks, meetings, performances, fashion shows and interdisciplinary projects dedicated to contemporary jewellery. The event is held under the patronage of the Lazio Region, the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, the Department for Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion, CNA Roma, Confcommercio and Federpreziosi Roma.

From 8 to 11 October, the magnificent Corsie Sistine, located within the Santo Spirito in Sassia Monumental Complex, hosted a major exhibition dedicated to contemporary jewellery and goldsmithing, featuring works by more than 130 artists, designers and master goldsmiths from Italy and abroad. The exhibition celebrated the dialogue between different generations, cultures and artistic languages.

The theme of RJW 2026 was “The Crown of Ingenuity. Jewellery as a Story of 80 Years of Italian Art and Culture.” Participating designers were invited to draw inspiration from the works of great masters, including writers, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, poets and artists from a wide range of disciplines.

Four students from Accademia Italiana were selected to exhibit their creations:

Negin Kolivand: Inspired by the humanist photography of Mario Dondero, this brooch unfolds like a silent archive. As its layers shift, fragments of memory resurface, revealing that history does not reside solely in monuments but also lives on in the traces of ordinary lives. Peace can endure only as long as memory remains alive. The student's work received an award and was sponsored by designer Elena Donati (watch the interview).

Claudia Iori: This piece draws inspiration from Alda Merini's poem “Sono nata il ventuno a primavera” (“I Was Born on the Twenty-First of Spring”). The number twenty-one corresponds to the necklace's 21 elements, which invite viewers to deconstruct the concept of madness and reflect on the marginalisation of artistic genius. Breaking away from conventional ideals of beauty, the jewellery embraces its fractures without fear of being provocative or visceral.

Mirella Laszlo: Inspired by the sculptural language of Francesco Somaini, Captured Force explores strength as a constant tension between matter, emptiness and movement. Peridot becomes the composition's point of equilibrium, while the silver structure translates the dynamic energy characteristic of Somaini's artistic research into a contemporary jewellery piece.

Gaia Ficcadenti: Inspired by Dario Fo, this pendant explores the tension between imposed identity and freedom of expression. The cage evokes social constraints, while the masked face represents the constructed, layered self. Amethyst breaks through the structure, becoming a symbol of rupture, transformation and inner awareness.

“During the exhibition, the Corsie Sistine are transformed from exhibition spaces into places where research, tradition, experimentation and new generations meet,” explains Cecchini, “giving rise to a major international event conceived as a platform for sharing, celebrating and promoting contemporary jewellery, capable of bringing Rome into dialogue with the global scene.” 

A unique event offering a comprehensive exploration of the world of jewellery, RJW guides our young designers towards a future shaped by culture, creativity and exchange.